Shower shoe with laterally collapsible band



April 13, 1954 v J. I EvlN SHOWER SHOE WITH LATERALLY COLLAPSIBLE BAND Filed Sept. 2l, 1951 .l HHIIUJIIIIIIIIIIIIII 3 INV EN TOR. /Vess @Qzz Patented Apr. 13, P1954 SHOWER SHOE WITH LATERALLY COLLAPSIBLE BAND Jess Levin, Elmwood Park, Ill. Application September 21, 1951, Serial No. 247,584

(Cl. 3ft-11.5)

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a shower shoe with laterally collapsible band and concerns itself with a structure comprising a .foot portion, a weighted band with a depression in the top of the sole portion into which the large toe can be inserte-d for elevating the band for slipping the foot under the band for attaching the shoe to the foot.

It is an object of this invention to provide a shower shoe having a collapsible arch band which can be readily put upon the foot or removed therefrom without bending.

When taking a shower, a foot can easily be slipped from the shoe allowing the weighted band to collapse yand the removed foot can then be placed upon the top of the collapsed band and sole for Soaping or while soaping the other foot when removed from the shoe. Thereafter, the foot can bev inserted under the ban-d by elevating the same with the big necessary.

In accordancewith this invention, the shoe holding band is provided upon its underside with a concave metal or plastic plate which will Kprovide a stiffening or weighted effect and which will readily allow the big toe to be inserted thereunder for elevating the band and allowing the whole foot to be slipped thereunder. Then when the foot is removed, the band will automatically collapse land allow the foot to be placed over the band and upon the sole.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred form of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Fig. l is a top plan view of ya shower shoe involving this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View with parts broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

As an exemplification of this invention, there is shown in the drawing, a shower shoe comprising a sole portion 4 which is in lthe shape of a foot and which may be made of rubber, plastic, wood or any suitable material. This sole portion has an opening in which a casing 6 of any suitable material is mounted. The longitudinal axis of the casing extends lengthwise of the shoe and the casing 6 has a depression 5 therein and the toe, no bending over being ends of the depression are upwardly curved as indicated at 6a for the easy insertion of the big toe at one end and an easy upward and outward movement of said toe at the other end for elevating the band 1 into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3.

The band 1, which may be made of any fabric or other suitable material, -is attached to the side edges of the sole 4 and extends over the depression 5 and said band or strap is so located as to embrace the instep or" the foot.

Upon the under side of the band 1, there is secured a plate 8 which may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. This plate 8 is transversely curved to a small extent in an upward 'direction as shown in Fig. 3 to more readily receive the big toe of a foot thereunder. The plate 8 is attached to the portion ofthe band which is upon the left side of the frontto-rear `center line of sthe band, that is, the center line which passes thru the narrow dimension of the band. As a result, the weight and stiffness of the band will cause the band to collapse to the right beyond the right hand edge of the sole as shown in Fig. 1 and -bring the plate 8 directly over the depression 5 formed in the casing 6. The sole 4 is provided with a channel yla transversely of the sole and extending yacross the casing S which channel is substantially the width of the ban-d 1 so that the band can sink into said channel when it collapses and lie substantially ilush with the top of the sole. It will, of course, be understood that the band collapses as the foot is being withdrawn from theshoe.

When the shoe is not in use, the band 1 normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 1 with a portion extending to one side of the sole where it has been forced by the weight of the plate 8. This position of the band may be obtained while in the shower by removing the foot from the shoe. In such a position, the foot may be placed over the band upon the shoe and soaped and may be supported thereon while the other foot is removed from the shoe and soaped. Then the feet may be engaged with the shoes while standing up, a feat not possible with the ordinary shower shoes now in use.

It will be appreciated that in fthe use of a collapsible banid for a shower shoe, it is possi-ble to support the feet upon the top of the band .and sole while in the shower for Soaping and washing purposes and that the feet may be readily removed from the shoes or inserted therein without bending.

I am aware that many changes may be made and various details of construction may -be modied without departing from the principles of this invention so I do not propose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a shower shoe, a sole portion having a foot engaging surface `with va casing sunken in said surface, ysaid casing having a longitudinally extending depression, said depression having upwardly curved ends adapted for guiding a toe therein and elevating the same therefrom, a collapsible band attached to said sole and extending over said depression and a rigid plate carried by said band in offset relation to the front-to-rear center line `of said band and adapted, in conjunction With the inherent stiifness of said band for causing said band to normally collapse in a lateral direction beyond one side edge only of said sole for the purpose set dorth.

2. In a shower shoe, a sole, a collapsible band attached to said sole and extending thereabove for receiving the foot of the wearer, said sole having a longitudinally extending dished like depression beneath said band and a curved plate upon the bottom of said band in oset relation to the front-to-rear center line of said band adapted in conjunction with the inherent stiffness of said band for collapsing said .band in a single lateral direction -to bring said plate over said depression when the wearers foot is being removed from said shoe.

3. In a shower shoe, a sole, a collapsible band attached to said sole, said sole having means therein providing a longitudinally extending depression having upwardly curved ends, said collapsible band extending over said depression, means on said band for causing the same in conjunction with the inherent stiiness of said band to collapse in a single lateral direction beyond one side of said shoe and directly over said depression when the wearers foot is being withdrawn from said shoe for the purpose set forth.

4. In a shower shoe, a sole having means providing a longitudinally extending depression at the medial portion thereof, a collapsible band attached to said sole and extending over said depression, a curved plate acting as a weight attached to the bottom of said band upon one side of the front-to-rear center line of said .band

4 and effective in conjunction with the inherent stiiness oi said band for collapsing said band in a single lateral direction for bringing said plate over said depression for the purpose set forth.

5. In a shower shoe, a sole, a normally collapsible band attached -to said sole, cooperating means upon said band and in said sole for guiding a portion of the wearers foot under the co1- lapsed band for elevating the same over the foot, said means including a plate upon the bottom of said band, said plate being offset in relation to 1the front-to-rear center line of said band adapted in conjunction with the inherent stiffness oi said band Afor collapsing said band -in a single lateral direction for the purpose set forth.

6. In a shower shoe, a sole, a collapsible band attached to said sole, means forming a depression in said sole, said sole having a channel groove extending from said depression to one side of said shoe, said channel groove being the width of said band, a plate on the bottom of said band in oset relation to the front-to-rear center line of said band and eiective in conjunction with the inherent stiffness of said band for collapsing said band in a lateral direction beyond only one side edge of said shoe to allow the wearer to stand upon the shoe over the collapsed band, with the band in said channel groove.

7. In a shower shoe, a sole having a channel in its upper surface extending transversely thereof, a collapsible band attached to said sole, extending over said channel and means acting as a Weight upon said band and located upon one side of the front-to-rear center line of said band adapted in conjunction with the inherent stiffness of said band for collapsing said band in a single lateral direction an'd into said channel whereby the user can stand upon the collapsed band and sole.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,088,309 Weidt Feb. 24, 1914 1,120,808 Goldberg Dec. 15, 1914 1,444,747 McNulty Feb. 6, 1923 1,823,445 Goldstone Sept. 15, 1931 2,173,702 Winkel Sept. 19, 1939 2,268,967 Y Small Jan. 6, 1942 

